Smitten Page 13

  The glasses clinked against the bedside stand when Max returned a few minutes later. Ēostre opened her eyes to the sight of him pouring fresh glasses, a beautiful Adonis in the golden glow emitted from the nearby lampshade. Playful as a kitten, she wiggled up against his side and claimed the glass from his hand.

  “Congratulations, Mr. President.”

  The champagne soothed her raw throat, but it didn’t quench the rising heat between them. He was still hard, after all, and they had a long night ahead of them to celebrate.

  There was no going back. Things would forever be changed between them, and Ēostre wouldn’t have it any other way.

  Chapter 12

  Maximilian awoke after a rare, peaceful night of sweet dreams. He didn’t have a scrap of the satin sheets on his body, and the cool air raised goose bumps on his skin. It didn’t take long to figure out where the covers had gone.

  Ēostre lay beside him, a beautiful mattress hog wrapped in a cocoon of sheets. She’d taken all of them, whether by intention or not, and left him with so little space he practically hung from the edge.

  Instead of leaving the bed, as he would have if she were only a mortal to warm his sheets for a night, he moved closer and enfolded her in his arms to reclaim the stolen space.

  What had he ever done in his life to deserve such fortune? He buried his face in her silver waves, breathed her in, and thought, I have always wanted you, Ēostre. Since the first day Fafnir brought you to meet me, I coveted you.

  Fighting amongst the other males for a heartless female beast had never appealed to Maximilian, and in his luckiest hour, Mahuika had come to strike a deal. A child in exchange for gold and gems. As payment, the fire dragon had given her half of his worldly treasures on the day she arrived with Brigid, their newly weaned cub. He’d waited thirty long years.

  Then Mahuika walked out of their lives. She’d only wanted the money and his jewels after all.

  “Mm… I ache everywhere,” his lover murmured beside him.

  “Was I too rough?”

  Her gentle laughter sent a chill over his skin. “No, Belenos. You were perfect,” she assured him. “My complaints are in the best way possible.”

  “Good.” He dropped a line of kisses down her neck to her shoulder. “Perhaps I can ease your suffering with a lengthy soak. The tub is practically a pool.”

  “Perhaps I’ll let you.” Chuckling, Ēostre wiggled away to settle on the edge of the bed with her back to him. The sheets pooled around her hips as she opened the nearby curtains, and light washed over the dimmed bedroom.

  The bruised, deep purple outline of his teeth marred the back of her right shoulder, discolored as much from the magical brand as the physical injury it caused.

  “Did you plan last night?” Ēostre asked gently when she saw him looking.

  “No, but I don’t regret it,” he said quietly. “Do you?”

  Ēostre shook her head. “I wouldn’t have chosen last night to accept your pledge,” she said as she raised her fingers to the mark on her shoulder. One touch awakened the new bond between them, stiffening his cock in an instant.

  Max’s nostrils flared. “Then you wish to allow it to lapse. After all, you did not mark me in return to seal our bond.” Breathing in the scent of her morning arousal was its own kind of hell. Wanting to touch her, wanting to drive into her and reclaim what was his, but listening to her dismaying words at the same time. Max maintained his neutral expression, but his hope dwindled. “I understand. It was foolish of me.”

  Ēostre shook her head. “No, Bel. Allow me to finish my thoughts.” When she shifted to face him, the sleek satin sheets fell away completely, revealing her body to him anew. Long, lean thighs, full breasts, and a stomach only soft enough to remind him she’d once borne a child. She slipped one thigh over his hip to straddle him.

  “I had planned to reveal my heart to you last night, yet you beat me to it. I don’t regret our coupling, but I had not expected a bond. As for my claiming you, as you asked me last night, is there a rush?” A mischievous smile touched her lips as she gazed down at him.

  “No,” he whispered, intoxicated by the very sight of her. The sunlight gleamed over her fair skin and lit her platinum blonde hair aflame in color. If it was lavender in the moonlight, noontime made it spun gold in the presence of the morning sun. The tips of her hair skimmed over his chest, tickling wherever they touched.

  “Why not?” Ēostre lowered over his cock, trapping it between the slick, wet folds of her pussy and his pelvis. She moved her hips back and forth. “Am I no longer to your liking?”

  “You are. In every way, Ēostre.”

  “I thought you to be a man who knows what he wants, Belenos.” Her hips rolled and teased, but she didn’t take him inside the receptive sheath he longed to feel again.

  “Don’t tease me,” he growled up at her.

  “I’ll tease you as much as I want, my mate.”

  Max’s cock twitched inside her, apparently loving the words as much as his brain did. His physical response brought a bigger smile to her face.

  “My mate,” she repeated.

  “Fuck, what are you doing to me?”

  “Exercising my will,” she whispered. The playful minx in her emerged as she leaned forward to kiss him, dragging tightly budded nipples over his chest. With a groan, he took a handful of her ass and pressed her down against him.

  “Take me. Make me yours as well, Ēostre. Do it.”

  “Not yet.”

  His skin felt electrified, the fine hairs standing and his skin tingling. A bond could only be initiated at the height of physical pleasure when two souls were connected by bliss.

  “I feel how wet you are for me, love. Let me give you what you need.”

  Despite her equally pressing desire, Ēostre took her sweet time, raising until the thick inches of his cock glistened between her thighs, only to thrust down and reclaim him again. She did it over and over, taunting him with delicious slowness.

  Chiming trills filled the room, breaking the silence.

  “Ignore it,” Max mumbled against her breast, wishing he’d left her purse downstairs when he’d fetched them snacks just before dawn. “It’s probably work.”

  “And if it isn’t?” Ēostre held her hand palm out toward her discarded purse. It unsnapped and the phone flew into her palm. “It’s Chloe. She rarely calls…”

  “Answer it if you must,” Max said, sighing heavily. His cock throbbed within her, aching with the need for his mate to resume the subtle glide up and down his shaft.

  “Chloe? Is everything all right?”

  Chloe spoke too softly for Max to hear her end of the call, but the overall tone of conversation seemed friendly. No emergency at all. He bumped his hips upward and surged deep inside Ēostre, catching her off guard. Her eyes flew open and her fingers clutched wildly at his chest.

  He grinned and slid his hand to the junction of their bodies. One rub of his thumb against her clit made Ēostre’s pussy involuntarily clench. Her body was so responsive to him, reacting to the slightest provocation and touch.

  “Oh? Well, I’m sure he’ll be flattered and pleased. I’ll, ahh…” Ēostre closed her eyes and dragged in a ragged breath. “Tell him. I’ll tell him. Five? Of course. I will — we will see you then.” After ending the call, she tossed the phone aside and leaned down to nip his ear. “Naughty dragon.”

  “You were taking far too long,” he grumbled. “What did she want?”

  “They’re throwing a celebratory dinner for you tomorrow night.” The corner of her mouth quirked. “I think she knows we were having sex.”

  “You hardly managed to keep your composure so I’m not surprised. Now she’ll know better than to call again.”

  She swatted at his chest but there was no strength behind her silent admonishment. She rolled her hips, seating his shaft deep within. She tightened around him again.

  “I want you to know something, Max.”

  “What’s that, my heart?
”

  “I waited to claim you until I could savor this moment and enjoy every second.” She dipped her head down to kiss his cheek.

  Having Ēostre above him made Max forget how to breathe. His hands traced out her outline, flowing up and down her silhouette, past her ribs and back down to her hips again. He watched at first, mesmerized by each rise and fall, the tight rhythm created each time her thighs flexed.

  Her nipples stood stiff and rosy, ready for the heat of his mouth. He leaned up, his weight on one palm, and claimed one eagerly. His tongue bathed the tight peak, then he suckled it between his lips, provoking another internal squeeze around his dick.

  “Take me,” he growled. “Faster, Ēostre.”

  “Can’t wait?” she asked, breathless.

  Sating her own needs or deciding to heed his request, his lover quickly began to thrust him in and out of her warmth.

  “I’m close,” he moaned out.

  Ēostre’s breaths came quick. “I know. Let go, Bel. Let go with me,” she cried out. The rest of her plea was lost to her orgasm, and then moments later, Bel was lost within her. He thrust up, groaning as he spilled his seed in a hot rush. One spurt then another. Ēostre pressed her body closely against him, her breasts flattened against his chest.

  At first, her lips brushed his collarbone in a kiss, then sharp teeth closed around muscle and skin. His vision went dark, shadowed by a curtain of raw bliss shooting through every nerve fiber. Max’s muscles tensed and his entire body went rigid beneath her. The shock of the branding mark lanced from head to toe, and he came until he was dry firing inside her and there was nothing left.

  “Belenos?” Ēostre whispered.

  “Hm?”

  “I think I lost you for a moment.” She pushed her hair behind one ear and peered down at him, expression jubilant.

  “There are no words to accurately convey what I feel right now,” he said quietly. “Amazing, fantastic, incredible — all unacceptable.”

  “Then don’t use words.”

  Max leaned up to kiss his mate. His beloved. His everything. One kiss wasn’t enough, but in one kiss, he channeled years of longing, affection, and all of his devotion.

  They napped on and off, ignoring the ringing phone in his office and the buzz from his doorbell. When the wolves knocked again to perform their welfare check, he channeled part of his draconic side and bellowed out a wish for privacy. The pack left them alone afterward.

  Finally, Ēostre slipped from the bed, and he mourned the loss of her heat beside him. “I’m going to make tea and figure out how to feed us. I’m starved.”

  Max chuckled and laced his fingers behind his head. She’d drained him. “Don’t walk around my house naked. I might attack you again.”

  “You aren’t attacking anyone in your condition,” Ēostre pointed out, calling his bluff.

  They ended up in the shower together instead, both too tired to do anything more than soap and hold the other while enjoying the refreshing pelt from the enormous showerhead. Dragons loved the water, whether they were volcanic, tidal, ice, earth, or storm. He could spend an hour beneath a scalding spray easily. For Ēostre, he had to adjust the temperature to something she could tolerate.

  “I don’t look forward to leaving,” she sighed as Max patted her dry with a fluffy towel.

  “I suppose you could live with me,” he answered, wrapping his arms around her waist. The towel fell to the floor. “Secretly, of course. Until we’re married.”

  “Is that your idea of a proposal?”

  I suppose it is, Max thought. He swore internally, hating that he didn’t have a ring, a bracelet, or some trinket of affection for the moment. Humans proposed with dazzling engagement rings and tokens of love. And… all he had to offer was his heart.

  Max ran his fingertips through her damp hair, pushing fair strands from her face. “Yes. Nothing would honor me more than to take you as both my mate and my wife.” He couldn’t breathe, but the thump of his racing heart threatened to drown out anything else he may have said. Tell me you want the same. Please.

  “Nothing would make me happier,” she whispered.

  “I know marriage has no meaning to dragons, but I want you to stand beside me in all ways. Come to Washington with me. Let the world fall in love with you as I have. Let them see your charm and your radiance.”

  “Are you sure we should be seen together so soon?”

  His grin stretched across his face. “My darling, Ēostre, they’ve already seen us together in our swimsuits.”

  “About that…” She nibbled her lower lip and glanced away.

  “You arranged it. I know.”

  “The press? No, not that at all. You see, my selfish act wasn’t me wanting to laze about on the beach. It was about having you to myself for the weekend.” She paused, then added in a cheeky voice, “In a Speedo. You failed me on that point, though I suppose your substitution was acceptable.”

  “Now you have me all to yourself.” He stepped forward, nudging their bodies closer together. “In nothing.” And the wave of exhaustion felt in the wake of her branding mark was quickly fading.

  “Yes, I most certainly do.”

  As Max leaned in and claimed her lips in a searing kiss, he was aware of one thing.

  They were going to need another shower soon.

  Chapter 13

  “Are you prepared for this?” Max asked.

  “Hardly. While I may know my son well, I can’t predict his reaction to our news.” Ēostre wrung her hands together until Maximilian gently took one and interlaced their fingers. She smiled up at him.

  “Does his opinion matter?”

  “No,” she admitted. “But I…” The silver dragon pursed her lips and lapsed into silence, thinking. “I want his support.”

  “You’ll have it,” Max told her. “You raised a good cub, Ēostre, and he’s become an even greater man. You said it yourself.” He rang the doorbell and waited. The exterior of Drakenstone Manor smelled of sweet autumn flora. Leiv decorated according to the season, planting robust flower vines alongside pansies in every color of the rainbow. They bordered the walls of the home in a lush carpet of varying hues.

  “Their car is here! Saul, sweetie, would you answer the door?”

  Chloe’s distinctive voice reached them from inside, traveling through an open window. Sensing his mate’s worry, Max squeezed Ēostre’s hand tighter and nudged her with his thigh.

  “All will be fine,” he assured her again in a quiet voice.

  “I know.”

  Whether Saul approved or not, Max didn’t plan to let her go. He couldn’t anyway, since he’d pledged half of his soul during their mating rite, freely giving her part of his very essence.

  The anticipation continued to build until he heard Saul’s thundering steps approaching the door. The man walked heavy, like he was a giant, though he could be nimble footed when necessary.

  “Congratulations, Maximilian, on a job well done,” he cheerfully greeted Max. “You as well, Mother. How are both of you? Come in, come…” The big smile on the man’s bearded face faded when his golden eyes traveled to their joined hands. He stared.

  “Hello, Saul,” Max said politely. “Thank you. I’m honored to receive your family’s invitation today.”

  Saul continued to stare, and then his nostrils flared as he breathed in their mingled scents and realized the inevitable. “Mother, why do you and Maximilian…” Saul’s voice trailed then his eyes went large with surprise. “You’ve bonded?”

  “Yes.” Ēostre raised her chin and studied her only child’s reaction. “As of last night.”

  “I… Really?”

  Despite Saul’s perplexed expression, tension continued to gnaw Max’s insides. Confusion was better than outright disdain. Claiming a female dragoness for the first time was difficult enough without submitting himself to the judgment of her adult offspring.

  Chloe emerged from the area of the kitchen, drying her hands against her thighs. “Hi, guy
s!” The discomfort lingered as she reached her husband’s side and saw the two older dragons still standing on the porch.

  “Hello, Chloe,” Max said.

  “Uh. Why is there a standoff in my doorway? Saul, move aside and let them in,” Chloe chastised him. She bumped him with her hip, then her blue eyes dropped to their joined hands. “So it’s official now?” She made a sweeping gesture with her arm, encouraging them to enter. The members of Max’s security team remained outside after flashing her polite smiles. Ian had come through and gotten at least a small handful of shifters onto the staff of the United States Secret Service, and in the coming days, Maximilian would become acquainted with the unique habits of a new security detail.

  He already missed Andrew, Vincent, Carl, and Megan, but he was told the latter was in a fine position to apply. Ian had plans of getting her on the Counter Sniper Team, claiming he’d trained her himself.

  “Very official,” Ēostre said. The uncertain smile on his mate’s lips broadened.

  “I’m so happy for your both. I knew it was only a matter of time before one of you made the first move.”

  Saul stared at his wife. “How long have you known this, and why wasn’t I told?”

  “Since summer… and it wasn’t your business,” Chloe answered, giving him a cheeky grin. “She’s your mother, not your child.”

  “I know that,” Saul grumbled. His eyes softened and a gentle smile came to his face. “I am also happy for you. If I appear upset, I assure you, it is merely shock disguising my pleasure.”

  “Your mother and I—”

  Saul cut Max off with an abrupt bear hug, surrounding the fire dragon in a tight embrace. It caught Max completely by surprise, but it didn’t go unwelcomed. He squeezed Saul back in return, overwhelmed by how right it felt to not only become part of the Drakenstone family, but to also receive each of their blessings. He and Brigid had gone about it the wrong way before, but now the Ancestors had granted him a last chance at peace and a happy future.